Heat dissipation device

ABSTRACT

An exemplary heat dissipation device includes a centrifugal fan and a fin assembly. An air outlet is defined in the centrifugal fan. The fin assembly is located at the air outlet of the centrifugal fan. The fin assembly includes a first fin unit and two second fin units. The first fin unit includes a plurality of first fins made of a first material. Each of the second fin units includes a plurality of second fins made of a second material. A heat conductive efficiency of the first material exceeds that of the second material.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to heat dissipation, and particularly to a heat dissipation device for an electronic component.

2. Description of Related Art

With the continuing development of electronic technology, electronic components, such as CPUs (central processing units) and others, generate more heat in operation than previously. The heat is required to be dissipated immediately, to avoid the electronic components overheating and becoming damaged. Often, heat dissipation devices are used to dissipate heat of the electronic components.

A commonly used heat dissipation device includes a plurality of fins stacked together. The fins are often made of copper, due to its high heat conductive efficiency. However, copper is expensive and difficult to machine, resulting in elevated unit costs.

Accordingly, what is needed is a heat dissipation device which can overcome the described limitations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiment can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric, assembled view of a heat dissipation device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the heat dissipation device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a heat dissipation device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The heat dissipation device 10 includes a heat absorbing plate 12, a centrifugal fan 16, a fin assembly 18 mounted at a lateral side of the centrifugal fan 16, and a heat pipe 14 thermally connecting the heat absorbing plate 12 with the fin assembly 18.

The heat absorbing plate 12 is a rectangular sheet made of heat conductive material, such as copper or aluminum. A bottom surface of the heat absorbing plate 12 attaches to an electronic component (not shown) to absorb heat generated by the electronic component.

The heat pipe 14 includes an evaporator section 140 and a condenser section 142 respectively at two opposite ends thereof. The evaporator section 140 is attached on a top surface of the heat absorbing plate 12. The condenser section 142 is oriented at an angle relative to the evaporator section 140, and is positioned at a lateral side of the centrifugal fan 16 and attached to the fin assembly 18.

The centrifugal fan 16 includes a housing 160, and an impeller 162 rotatably mounted in the housing 160.

The housing 160 includes a bottom plate 161, a top plate 163 opposite to the bottom plate 161, and a volute side plate 164 between the bottom plate 161 and the top plate 163. The bottom plate 161, the top plate 163 and the side plate 164 cooperatively define a receiving space (not labeled), housing the impeller 162. The top plate 163 and the bottom plate 161 are respectively located at the top and bottom of the impeller 162. The impeller 162 faces middle portions of the top plate 163 and the bottom plate 161. A circular top air inlet 165 is defined in the middle portion of the top plate 163, and a circular bottom air inlet 166 is defined in the middle portion of the bottom plate 161. A mounting base 167 is provided in the bottom air inlet 166 of the bottom plate 161. The mounting base 167 includes a circular supporting plate 168 located at a middle of the bottom air inlet 166, and a plurality of ribs 169 extending between a circumference of the supporting plate 168 and an inner edge of the bottom plate 161 at the bottom air inlet 166. A tube 170 extends upward from the supporting plate 168, receiving a bearing 171 therein. An air outlet 172 is defined in the side plate 164 of the housing 160.

The fin assembly 18 is located at the air outlet 172 of the centrifugal fan 16 and is thermally attached to the condenser section 142 of the heat pipe 14. The fin assembly 18 includes a first fin unit 180, and two second fin units 182 a, 182 b located at two opposite lateral sides of the first fin unit 180, respectively. The first fin unit 180 and the two second fin units 182 a, 182 b are juxtaposed in a line, wherein the first fin unit 180 is located between the two second fin units 182 a, 182 b and faces the center of the air outlet 172 of the centrifugal fan 16. The first fin unit 180 includes a plurality of first fins 181 stacked together. The two second fin units 182 a, 182 b respectively face two opposite outer portions of the air outlet 172 of the centrifugal fan 16. The two second fin units 182 a, 182 b each include a plurality of second fins 183 a, 183 b stacked together. A surface area of each first fin 181 exceeds that of each second fin 183 a, 183 b. Two recesses 185, 186 are respectively defined below the two second fin units 182 a, 182 b, to minimize any risk of the fin assembly 18 interfering with other components (not shown) nearby the fin assembly 18 when the heat dissipation device 10 is mounted in an electronic device such as a notebook computer.

The first fins 181 of the first fin unit 180 are made of a material different from that of the second fins 183 a, 183 b of the two second fin units 182 a, 182 b. To be specific, the material of the first fins 181 provides greater heat conductive efficiency than that of the second fins 183 a, 183 b. In this embodiment, the first fins 181 are made of copper, and the second fins 183 a, 183 b are made of aluminum. Due to the high heat conductive efficiency of copper compared with the relatively low cost of aluminum, the fin assembly 18 has a relatively high heat conductive efficiency yet a relatively low cost.

In addition, the centrifugal fan 16 generates airflow at the middle portion of the air outlet 172 exceeding that at each of the outer portions of the air outlet 172. Since the surface area of the first fin 181 exceeds that of the second fins 183 a, 183 b, and a heat conductive efficiency of the first fin unit 180 exceeds that of the second fin units 183 a, 183 b, the airflow generated by the centrifugal fan 17 can be efficiently processed by the fin assembly 18. Thus, the heat dissipation device 10 not only avoids interference between the fin assembly 18 and other nearby components, but also provides the heat dissipation device 10 with a high heat dissipation efficiency.

It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiment have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiment, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A heat dissipation device comprising: a centrifugal fan defining an air outlet therein; and a fin assembly located at the air outlet of the centrifugal fan, the fin assembly comprising a first fin unit and at least one second fin unit juxtaposed with the first fin unit in a line, the first fin unit comprising a plurality of first fins made of a first material, the at least one second fin unit comprising a plurality of second fins made of a second material; wherein a heat conductive efficiency of the first material exceeds that of the second material.
 2. The heat dissipation device of claim 1, wherein the first material is copper, and the second material is aluminum.
 3. The heat dissipation device of claim 2, wherein the first fin unit faces the center of the air outlet of the centrifugal fan, the at least one second fin unit comprises two second fin units respectively facing two opposite outer portions of the air outlet of the centrifugal fan, and the first fin unit is located between the two second fin units.
 4. The heat dissipation device of claim 3, wherein a surface area of each of the first fins exceeds that of each of the second fins, and two recesses are respectively defined below the two second fin units.
 5. The heat dissipation device of claim 2, wherein a surface area of each of the first fins exceeds that of each of the second fins, and a recess is defined below the at least one second fin unit.
 6. The heat dissipation device of claim 1, further comprising a heat absorbing plate and a heat pipe, wherein one end of the heat pipe is attached to the heat absorbing plate, and an opposite end of the heat pipe is attached to the fin assembly.
 7. A heat dissipation device comprising: a centrifugal fan defining an air outlet therein; the centrifugal fan adapted for generating airflow and outputting the airflow from the air outlet; and a fin assembly located at the air outlet of the centrifugal fan, the fin assembly comprising a first fin unit and at least one second fin unit juxtaposed with the first fin unit in a line, the first fin unit comprising a plurality of first fins made of a first material, the at least one second fin unit comprising a plurality of second fins made of a second material; wherein a heat conductive efficiency of the first material exceeds that of the second material, and the airflow at the first fin unit exceeds that at the at least one second fin unit.
 8. The heat dissipation device of claim 7, wherein the first material is copper, and the second material is aluminum.
 9. The heat dissipation device of claim 8, wherein the first fin unit faces the center of the air outlet of the centrifugal fan, the at least one second fin unit comprises two second fin units respectively facing two opposite outer portions of the air outlet of the centrifugal fan, and the first fin unit is located between the two second fin units.
 10. The heat dissipation device of claim 9, wherein a surface area of each of the first fins exceeds that of each of the second fins, and two recesses are respectively defined below the two second fin units.
 11. The heat dissipation device of claim 7, further comprising a heat absorbing plate and a heat pipe, wherein one end of the heat pipe is attached to the heat absorbing plate, and an opposite end of the heat pipe is attached to the fin assembly.
 12. A heat dissipation device comprising: a centrifugal fan defining an air outlet therein; and a fin assembly comprising a first fin unit and a pair of second fin units at opposite sides of the first fin unit, the first and second fin units arranged in line facing the air outlet of the centrifugal fan, the first fin unit protruding below the second fin units and being made of a first material having high heat conductivity, the second fin units being made of a second material having lower heat conductivity. 